Jammu : Giving autonomy to both parts of the divided Jammu and Kashmir is the only way to resolve the Kashmir dispute, former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah said on Monday.
During a tour of Rajouri district, the National Conference leader told party activists at Budhal: “Autonomy to both sides of Jammu and Kashmir is the only viable and realistic solution to the nearly seven-decade-old problem that has cast dark shadows over the generations.
“We owe peace and dignified life to posterity. And that can be achieved only by converting the present dividing line between the two neighbouring countries into a line of peace,” he added.
Pakistan controls the northern third of Jammu and Kashmir. The southern two-third of the state is held by India.
Abdullah is on a two-day visit to Rajouri and Poonch districts of Jammu region. He said the hostilities of 70 years had retarded growth on both sides of the Line of Control and the time had come for India and Pakistan to take a bold initiative by calling a spade a spade.